Senate Approves Bill to Check Lottery Winners for Tax and Child Support Liabilities

The full Senate on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill to ensure that winners of the Oklahoma lottery must first pay delinquent taxes or child support liabilities.

Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson, author of Senate Bill 513, explained the measure would allow the Lottery Commission to work together with the Tax Commission and the Department of Human Services to determine whether a winner owes child support or any taxes.

The bill will now advance to the House for final consideration.

“It’s understandable that lottery winners may want to protect their identity, but that shouldn’t preclude them from paying their taxes or child support,” said Wilcoxson, R-Oklahoma City. “This bill will ensure that unpaid child support will be withheld from winnings and go to the families who need it most.”

The measure would also require individual members of trusts who collect prizes to submit personal identification information. Wilcoxson explained that a need for the legislation arose when an anonymous trust claimed a prize for the Oklahoma Powerball Lottery last year.

“Previously, individual members of trusts were not required to submit personal information,” said Wilcoxson. “Under this bill, members of trusts would be required to submit their information, but their identities would remain confidential.”